Illegal
by chavellar
Summary: Arriana Chavellar is on a journey of a lifetime that will take her farther than she thinks. She doesn't plan on fighting, but that soon changes. She becomes a target, and soon realizes that her death could mean the end of her world and home of Alladatria.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_**There will be a time when all evil and black magic will face our lands of Alladatria; where the skies grow shadowed and the people will suffer from a **__**perpetual **__**drought. There will be bloodshed over grit substance and foul drink and strife over estate. There will be wars over the blackened fields of death that the black raven of bewitchment has soared and befouled the air under its deadly wings; until a young elven babe is born. **_

_**The babe will have eternal allure that will mesmerize Alladatria's humanity; she will grow to be fair and gentle, brave and courteous; a mystical siren in the haze of ferocity. **_

_**But one thing will stop her; a great battle of confusion and orientation, pain and triumph, betrayal and fidelity, loss and ruin; a battle that will surely shatter all she's ever known. **_

_**At the age of adulthood, she will obtain a treatise. It will seem to be simple but the yellowing leafs give off its age. The vibrant circling contours on each page remain lively compared to the rest of the leaf. It acts like a being; powerful and wise; drawing her to its unknown capabilities that show her what she can truly accomplish. Her mind will stretch to its full potential and enable her to see all that others cannot see and hear all that is hidden from the world. With these awakening powers, she will travel to far off lands and bring back all that was lost and all that has been destroyed.**_

_**The foreboding fear is eclipsing over the land of Alladatria but the girl holds her head high and shows no fear. She is daring, courageous and stronger than the most feared animal of Alladatria; the wolverine. She will cross the deadly bluffs that reach high into the sky and traverse the dark territories that connect our world and the distant lands together. **_

_**However, one cruel, dangerous and forgotten creature will be summoned and rise from the earth's crust. He is blacker than space, more vicious than a wolverine and he blackens the skies so that no light will shine. He feeds off killing those who are alive and fills the rivers with blood so that he may drink them. He can look as glorious as an angel or a hideous as those how are dead under the moonlight. They call him the Galvoraq.**_

_**He has another name, but it was forgotten many millenniums ago. He could crawl like a spider and feast like a **__**Falkral**__**. He has no heart; for he is just a dead but cruel and nefarious spirit. **_

_**The girl will face the Galvoraq and will have to defeat him, but she must first defeat two, whom are aiding the Galvoraq to rise and swarm Alladatria into a world of fear, bitterness and death. **_

_**The girl's only visible gift, her allure, will be one of the three keys to defeating the spirit. The other two keys run in her blood. She will have to use her unknown knowledge of the past and future and her spellbinding imprints and abilities to destroy the Galvoraq forevermore. **_

I quavered as I held and reread my prophecy. I knew what it meant. I glared up at what I was about to battle against and charged, knowing that it could be the very end.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The walk home was gloomy. The twilight lit sky was covered by the dense mass of trees that surrounded my hometown. But even then, the sun still managed to shine brightly on the forest floor.

My closest friend, Phinexa, was walking beside me. She was shorter than me by only a few inches, had golden blonde hair and shining purple eyes. She, I knew from school, was stronger than she looked. She's 15, a few months younger than me.

Shale, my little brother was trailing behind us. He was short for his age of 10, and only four feet tall. He wasn't fast, but he was cunning. His hair colour was close to my long golden chestnut brown, and our eyes were the same golden topaz. He's six years younger than me, but I didn't really care. Once I was out of school with Phinexa, we were on our way to Dragonmouth, a grand city on the other side of the deadly mountain range known as Oerg Urthic, or the Death Mountains, and I knew my brother wouldn't be able to come.

We were approaching the centre fountain of Harping, which is the name of my hometown. The leader, or also known as Nurthen Foldrea, stood by the fountain, which was close to her home in the centre of the city.

We looked and saw what was a commotion. Truth be told, when there is a meeting, everyone in Harping gathers by the centre fountain, and that means _everyone_. Today, well almost everyone was there in Harping, and that meant something big. News doesn't usually come this far north into the Glanring Bolfik, or the Mysterious Forest, and when we elves hear news that needs to be spread, it's like the whole city would know by the end of the day what was going on.

"What do you think is going on Arriana?" Phinexa asked me as we stood still in our tracks.

Shale came up behind us, and being stupid, tried to stand in between Phinexa and I. "Move over! I can't see!"

_Then why don't you go _around_ us_? I thought.

An idea clicked in my head. "I don't know, but let's find out!"

Phinexa tuned her head to me; her violet eyed gleaming in excitement. Shale was still trying see what was going on.

I set off in a brisk run that came up to a full sprint. Of course, I saw Phinexa almost pass me. She was the fastest female runner in Harping, and they automatically put her on our school's running team.

It became a race to beat the crowd, but every time I put one foot down, three to five more elves surrounded the fountain. _We should've gotten closer before we began to run_.

I felt my shield bounce on my back and my sword hit my side. I was thankful I was wearing the scabbard and my sword was sheathed, because it was sharp. I thought back to the numerous times I had "accidently" caused these accidents to one of the students in my calisthenics class at school with my sword.

Phinexa was like my twin. She had her sword and shield on her. Shale, who was panting behind us, had his sword, or to me, a long dagger.

By the time we were actually _at_ the fountain, most of the 6-8 foot tall adult elves made it _seem_ impossible to get to the front. I heard Shale press a pout. I could already tell that he wasn't pleased that the older, more adult, elves made it to the fountain before us. But it wasn't his fault he was shorter than normal.

"Excuse me, but could you let us through?" I heard Phinexa ask an adult elf.

He turned to us. When I saw him, he looked to be close to eight, maybe even nine feet tall, which was close to three or four feet taller than me. "Sure," he replied, "But try not to lose each other." He stepped aside to let Phinexa, Shale and I through the mass of bodies.

_Try not to lose each other?_ I thought. _How could we lose each other in a crowd?_

We pushed through the growing crowd, and in the process, got some very angry complaints.

I looked to the sky, and the sun, I noticed, had gone down a fair bit. _Mom I going to be so mad at me and Shale for being late when we get home_.

I glanced at the sky a few more times, and the last time I glanced, I saw a pixie fly above my head. I stopped moving and looked behind me. Phinexa and Shale had the same eager expression as me.

We began to push through the crowd a lot faster, gaining more complaints as we went, but we _wanted_ to see the pixie. Usually when something other than an elf is in Harping, it means big news, and a pixie, well that meant the biggest news of all.

When we were finally at the front of the crowd, Phinexa got into her defensive position, which means she was gripping the hilt of her sword until he knuckles went white. I did the same; gripped my sword hilt, but light enough that at least my hand wouldn't hurt later on. Only Shale, who was standing in front of me, had the most trouble staying still, at least until he saw the pixie and his jaw dropped.

"Elves calm down!" the pixie yelled. Her high pitched and musical voice echoed into the forest beyond the city walls.

I looked at her closely. I had never seen an actual pixie before and I wanted her image burned into my memory. Sure she was beautiful, but I definitely didn't like her like that. I was an artist, and she was the next picture I was going to draw.

The pixie herself shone, and I mean _shone_. The glow that radiated off of her was white and I noticed a small gem that hung around her neck. The glow was coming from there. I guessed it was a snowgem.

I looked to her clothes, which were also white. They were made of the small down feathers from birds and I saw that small but beautiful sparkles were on her clothes. They glowed in the light of her gem. The sparkles, I thought, probably came from her wings. There were sparkles there too. She reminded of me when I was young and I claimed I wanted to be a pixie.

She turned to my direction. I heard Shale take in a breath. Her hair was blonde, almost white, and glistened with sparkles. Her eyes scanned the crowd; they were a very deep teal blue. _Probably counting how many elves are here,_ I thought.

"Calm down!" she yelled again. There was a small but noticeable tone of frustration in her voice. She cleared her throat. "Quiet down!" she shrieked.

Everyone stopped talking.

"Thank you." She paused. "My name is Snowstorm and I bring important news, news that has to do with _magic_."

Magic? I heard people murmur, though many were startled. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Phinexa just kept looking at the pixie, her expression unreadable. Even Shale didn't move in front of me, which was a shocker.

I turned my head around, my neck getting stiff from remaining in one place. What I saw from the other elves was shocked and curious expressions, and I heard many whispers, most of them "Can that be true? Magic, in Alladatria?"

"Why would you bring us news like that?!" and elf cried.

_Yeah, why?_ I thought. _It doesn't make sense. Could there really be magic in Alladatria? I thought it was banned many years ago._

"Our town is a quiet town. Now everyone will be worried for their own health and safety!" the same elf continued.

"Just listen!" the pixie Snowstorm cried. I could tell she was getting more frustrated and aggravated by the minute. "The news may b startling, but it is something all of Alladatria needs to know." There was too much strain in her voice. "And you should know this! I am a messenger pixie! My news to you is that you need to be aware of silver particles. We pixies don't make silver particles as we fly, but gold dust. I'm not afraid of these 'silver particles' but I do need a sample of them to see if they hold dark magic in them."

_There's a difference between good and dark magic?_ I opened my mouth to actually ask that question, but thought better of it. I didn't want to get into any trouble, but this seemed like something I would love.

The pixie said some more things, but my thoughts were on magic and what the difference between good and dark was.

I felt someone tap my shoulder. I looked and saw Phinexa. "The crowd is almost gone. Do you think we should talk to the pixie?"

I didn't know what to say. Sure I was the leader of our group, but to talk to the pixie would mean an almost-instant death from my mother.

"I don't know. My mother will be furious at me and Shale if we do," I said. "But I'm sure if we do, we could get more information from her."

"Alright."

Phinexa started walking towards the pixie, and I saw Shale trailing behind her. _I might as well go. It's no use to avoid the trouble I'll already be in._ I started walking towards the pixie almost automatically, my hand still gripping my sword's hilt.

Phinexa was the first to speak. "We heard the news. What do you mean by _silver particles_?"

That question was racking my brain, but I kept my mouth shut.

"I mean dust that is made of one hundred percent silver," Snowstorm replied. I saw her grip a small pixie sized dagger at her hip, and she looked at us funny when she saw me staring. She looked at us more closely and saw that all of us had swords, and I saw that she relaxed. She must have thought of us as travelers. "Who are you three? I didn't see you in the crowd." She continued to pack her small bag that was out of a folded leaf.

"I'm Phinexa. This is Arriana----" Phinexa pointed to me "----- and this is Shale, Arriana's brother." She pointed to my little brother.

"Nice to meet you," Snowstorm said as she put a small scroll into her pack.

_Yeah, nice. Shale and I are in for it now from our mother,_ I thought. I knew I was going to get into trouble, especially since it was already dark out. It was still light enough to see and get back home, but I still knew I was going to get into major trouble.

Snowstorm looked at the sky and turned to us. "I won't be able to fly any farther tonight. Do you think I could stay at one of your places?"

Nurthen Foldrea came up to us. "Do you know what an honor that would be to you if the pixie stayed here?" she asked us, her voice heavy from fatigue.

"The honor would be high, I presume," I replied.

Foldrea nodded. "That it would indeed Arriana."

"But what is honor if you cannot share it with many?" asked Snowstorm. "You seem to have misplaced the word Nurthen. I think you meant to say 'Do you know what praise you will receive for taking care of our greatest guest?'"

Nurthen Foldrea looked to the pixie. "You have a vast knowledge. I will speak to you in the morning wise pixie."

"Of course," Snowstorm replied with grace.

Foldrea left with her main guard following her.

"You can stay with us," I heard Shale say to Snowstorm, which brought my wandering thoughts to a close. "Mom would love to have you over!"

I felt a deep urge to smack my brother for being as stupid as he was. _And I thought he was to be cunning_. "Shale! You know mom and magic. They don't work well together!" I turned to the pixie. "I'm sorry for my outburst, but our place isn't the best place to go. I know that pixies are the only beings allowed in Alladatria to use magic and mine and Shale's mother doesn't tend to like magic. Maybe Phinexa can have you rest at her place."

"Of course you can stay with me Snowstorm," Phinexa replied.

"Good. Maybe one day you can see my home. It is quite beautiful," Snowstorm replied gratefully. I saw her flash us a quick smile.

_She must be happy_, I thought.

"Come on then! And fly fast, because I'm the fastest runner here in Harping!" Phinexa exclaimed in her I'm-going-to-beat-you voice.

I watched as Phinexa started running onto a trail that only she and I knew about, with the pixie following behind her.

I started walking home with Shale. I couldn't help but keep looking at the sky. _What if what the pixie said is true? That there is magic here. That wouldn't be good._

"What are you thinking about?" It was Shale.

"I was thinking about what mom will say and about what the pixie said. Mom isn't going to be too happy when she finds out that a pixie caused us to be late getting home."

"Oh," Shale said. "Why are you going to have to tell mom? I mean I could. I don't see why it has to be you."

"She always asks me for explanations. Haven't you noticed?" I got curious.

"Nope, but maybe she trusts you more than me. I mean, you never have lied to her of Father. It makes sense she'd trust you more."

I never thought about my mother being like that. I knew I couldn't lie, but why did my brother have to bring that up? I knew for sure he wasn't being himself today. "I never thought of our mother like that. Why did you say that Shale?" My inner curiosity was gnawing at my brain.

"Well, you have some of the best marks in school, you work hard at home and you never lie or cheat. Face it, you're one of those goodie-goods. It makes sense when you think about it."

I thought about what Shale said and I figured he was right. Everything he said did add up. _Ok, now I take what I thought back. He is cunning!_ "I guess you're right. It does make sense when I think about it."

We continued to walk in silence. I could hear our feet hitting the dirt road it was so quiet. We were quite familiar with the silence. We were never really close. Our brother-sister relationship was always at a minimal. We hardly ever interacted, except at school.

When our house came into view, we both ran. The night's air was starting to get cold on mine and Shale's skin.

When I reached the door, I pushed it open silently. I stepped inside. We always came through the back door. The back room was warm and numerous lanterns were lit. I saw a figure by the back window, sitting in a chair, wrapped up in a blanket.

I walked into the room and took my shoes off. Shale followed behind me. He closed the door, but he did it to the point where the figure heard us. When the figure stood up, I instantly knew it was my mother Sapphire.

A sound of reassurance escaped her mouth as she ran to us and embraced Shale and I. "Where have you two been? I've been so worried!" she cried between sobs of relief.

"Mom! We're fine. You can let go now," I said. I made my voice sound ruder than usual.

My mother got the hint. She let go of us and said, "You must be hungry since it's so late." My mother was so considerate of us. It was a wonder she was so respected. She got her name from the sapphire colour of her eyes, but I knew there was more to the meaning behind her name; I just didn't know what.

"I'm starved!" Shale exclaimed. I heard his stomach growl. I sighed. "Can I have a cookie?"

My mother shook her head. "I'm sorry baby, but we're out of cookies. Do you want some honey on toast instead?"

I heard pounding footsteps from upstairs. "Sapphire! Are Arriana and Shale home yet?" It was the booming voice of my dad Arnvin. He was tall, and I mean tall. He grew to be over 8 feet tall; taller than average. He had soft eyes, but firm hands, as did all carpenters did. That's what he did, and it suited him well, since we lived in a forest home.

"Yes, honey, they're home," Sapphire said. Her voice was too sweet for my liking. She could be _really_ overprotective some days.

I tried to sneak to the living room while Shale went to get his and his toast. At least, that's what he says.

I sighed. My mother was a lot like me. She was an avid reader and a partial drawer. She was only eight inches taller than me, that was until I grew again.

I made it to the living room, but my mother got there before me, like she read my mind. I sat down in a chair. My mother sat down beside me and I felt the hair on my arms stand up. This wasn't going to be good.

"What took you so long to get home?" she asked me. She looked at me funny, as if she knew the answer. I knew she didn't; she didn't like big news.

_Damn! Why did she have to ask that question?!_ I thought. I sighed. "A pixie." I forced the words out of my mouth even though it was a simple and clear answer. It was simple, the answer, but my mother, I knew, would take the conversation to another level. I tried to stay calm, but the calming exercises I was taught didn't do much help.

I watched as my mother's eyes glowed at the word pixie. She absolutely hated magic ever since the day of her parents' death. "How could you have talked with a pixie?!" she yelled. I heard a knife drop on the floor in the kitchen.

_Yep, I'm in trouble. Dammit!_ I thought. I took in a breath. "Mom, calm down. The pixie was a _messenger_ pixie. She came to tell us a message about 'silver dust.' She will be leaving tomorrow morning. No need to worry." I took in another breath. _Too late on that last line_, I thought to myself with more than just frustration.

I looked back to my mother. There was relief in her eyes, though I knew that she wouldn't be sleeping well that night. She turned her face away from me. "Thank you for telling me," she said just above a whisper." I knew she was in pain. "Now get some sleep. School starts early tomorrow." She got up and went to the kitchen to tell Shale to get to bed. I could hear his protesting.

I sighed and got up. _Typical of my mother_, I thought, _harsh one minute and somber the next. Why does she make things more complicated than needed?_ I climbed the stairs and went to my room. I grabbed my small bucket and watered some of the plants in my room. I changed into my nightdress and crawled into my bed. I was happy. My bed and nightdress were warm against my cold skin.

I sighed again. "What a productive day. Slow at school and fast when I get home," I told myself. I stared at the ceiling. I couldn't stop thinking about the pixie. Finally, when I thought I wouldn't get to sleep, I grabbed my coloured charcoal and a firm piece of writing fabric from the bedside cupboard drawer.

I sat up; my back against my feather pillow and my knees up. I placed the fabric on my blanket-covered-thighs and began to draw the pixie. I drew for a good while, and when I was at least halfway complete the picture, sleep decided to tackle me. I set the picture and the charcoal sticks on my night table and lay down. Slowly, I felt my eyelids get heavy and I passed into the first dreamless sleep I had in many months.

In the morning, I saw Snowstorm talk to Foldrea and then leave to warn other cities. I got my school bag ready and grabbed my blue tunic. I had my pale blue cloak on over top my nightdress. I went out the back and walked to the stream I usually bathed in.

The water was warmer than usual as I slipped into the stream. I grabbed the bottle of tree leaf juice from where I set it on the small sand bar. I poured some of the thick leaf juice and rubbed in on my arms, legs and torso.

When I got out of the water, I grabbed a small towel out from under my clothes and dried myself off. I got dressed in my blue tunic and walked home, feeling refreshed.

When I opened the door, I smelled the breakfast rolls my father was making. I went upstairs to my room, belted on my sword and strapped my shield on my on my back.

Before I went downstairs, I grabbed my school bag and tossed in my extra schoolbooks. After, I went downstairs and walked into the kitchen. I smelt the air. "Mm, those smell good," I said.

"Good morning Arriana," Arnvin greeted. It was common to see my father in a good mood as he cooked.

"Good morning," I replied. "Are the rolls done yet?"

"There are some on the table that I just finished cooking about five minutes ago. You'd better hurry or you'll be late for school." He continued to work on the next batch of roles.

"Thanks," I said. I walked to the table and grabbed a roll from the basket in the table's centre. I ate it without bothering to sit down.

I looked outside, and saw that the sun was just rising. _One hour until school starts, but it's mandatory to get there at least 45 minutes in advance. If we leave now, we can just make it on time. _

I heard Shale come down the stairs. I grabbed a roll for him and rushed to the back door. "Here," I said and gave my brother the roll.

He nodded. He took the roll and grabbed his shoes. "No point in putting them on."

I nodded. I opened the door and ran outside. I heard Shale running behind me. I turned onto a side road and walked the rest of the way to Phinexa's house. It was a habit to pick her up because she lived near the school. It was also because her house was on our route to the school, making it easier for us to get her.

I knocked on the door. I could easily hear Phinexa bustling around to get the rest of her things. We waited patiently and soon the door opened.

"Sorry," she said. "I got up late." She closed the door. I knew her mother was already working.

We were able to walk the rest of the way. It was uneventful as usual. We caught up with the other students as we walked. The most usual thing that happened was the guys. Ever since I was a little kid, all the guys moved away to let Phinexa, Shale and I pass them. I was considered the charm of the group. I knew I didn't need someone to love, but as for the guys, I couldn't tell. My mother always told me that my beauty was a gift from the heavens, but I thought I was lucky to charmed the way I was.

When we were finally three-quarters from the school---- at least another five minutes of walking---- I felt shale flinch at my side. I knew what this meant. It meant the school's worse gang of elves came out. They weren't a problem for me, but for Shale, I didn't know. He wasn't one to share secrets.

When we finally reached the school, we parted. Shale went to first class and Phinexa and I went to our first class. We still had another 45 minutes till the first bell, so that was when we studied. We sat down and pulled out our books. Phinexa began to write down study notes and I continued to read the next chapter in the course.

When the sound of the metal bell echoed through the school, our teacher entered and I put my book away. He passed around a booklet made of deerskin. The deerskin paper was thin, but firm, and it accepted the ink from my quill eagerly.

"You have this hour to finish the exam. As soon as I turn the hourglass, no one is allowed to speak, and if someone does, I am taking their exam. You know that you will not pass if that happens. Am I clear as to what is expected?"

"Yes, Mister Magira," I said in unison with the class.

"Alright. Begin." He flipped the hourglass, and I began to write my exam on battle tactics in Elven History. I was good at my history, so it made sense when I was the first one finished. Phinexa was second. She looked to the hourglass and I followed her gaze. _What? A whole half-hour left? I might as well go to the library. It's a good thing that only two students are allowed at a time to go out of the classroom. _I looked to Magira.

"Sir, may Phinexa and I go to the library? I have a few things I need to return."

Magira nodded. "I wouldn't doubt that. You two are the top students in the school. Go ahead."

I grabbed Phinexa by her arm. She got the memo.

We exited the classroom and walked to our lockers. They were in the same section, but apart by ten or so other lockers. I grabbed my key and unlocked my lock. I opened my locker and grabbed my study books.

"Hey," Phinexa whispered. "Why are we going to the library?"

"I have to return some books and Shale's first exam is always written in the library. I want to see if he's okay. He seemed scared today on the walk to school. He flinched when that gang came out. I can't help but feel worried about him," I replied honestly.

"Alright, but I still don't understand why I have to come," Phinexa said, her tone more serious than normal.

"Don't you have books to return?" I asked. I closed my locker and slipped my key down my tunic. I let the key dangle on a thin chain around my neck.

"No. I returned them yesterday, though I see you may need help carrying all of your books. " She looked to the pile of at least six books I held.

I laughed. "Yeah, I think help would be good right now," I replied, grateful of Phinexa's offer.

She took the top three books and she locked her locker. We began to walk to the library then. "You have way too many books. Since when did you like to read this much?"

"Since I had three reports due in the one class where we're not together," I replied.

"Oh," Phinexa said. "Three? Were they due on the same day?"

"That's what I'm grateful about. They weren't. It took me forever to get them done." I continued to walk and figured we were close to the library doors.

We continued to walk in silence. We didn't want to disrupt any other exams that were going on. _I hate the last day of every month. Stupid exams_, I thought.

When we entered the library, we set down all the books I had taken out on the return counter. We walked around the shelves and looked at other books, though none seemed to peak mine or Phinexa's interest.

While Phinexa walked around, I went to my brother's teacher. I had been watching his class write their exam, but Shale himself wasn't there. I had a reason to worry.

"Excuse me," I said, "but could you tell me where Shale is?"

His teacher turned around. "Oh! Arriana! What a surprise," she said with delight. "Shale left about five minutes before you arrived here, He was done his exam so I let him leave for the rest of the class. Why do you ask?"

"Just out of curiosity," I replied, disguising my worry with satisfaction.

_**BONG!**_

The heavy metal bell rang above me. I knew that my teacher wouldn't be pleased if I was late for my next class. "I have to go," I said urgently. "Thank you!"

"Alright. I hope to see you soon," Shale's teacher said.

I walked quickly to Phinexa. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the library. I guess I was being rough, but I was on a panic stream.

"Hey! Can you let go? What's the rush?" Phinexa yelled at me.

I avoided the eyes of the other students that were staring at us. "We'll be late for our next class if we don't hurry, and I don't want to be late," I replied hastily.

"Nope. There's something else on your mind. Ouch! I'm going to have a rash if you don't let go."

"Sorry." I let go of Phinexa's wrist. I still walked faster than usual in the hallway to my locker to get my things ready for the next class.

"No problem, and could you slow down? I'm going to have to start jobbing just to keep up! Are you sure you're fine?" Phinexa began to sound worried.

"It's nothing," I said, unlocking my locker, grabbing my materials, locking my locker and running to my next class. _I really need an in-school bag where I can put everything for every class._

"Okay," Phinexa said, though I saw the worry spread across her face.

I slipped into my seat and a few seconds later the bell rang again. There was a firm sheet of writing fabric on the top of my table. Colored charcoal sticks were in a box on my right. I sighed. I couldn't think of anything to draw for this exam, and my other drawing was at home. The thought of Shale being somewhere else than here was on the brink of my mind. Finally, I decided to draw my brother.

I let the color flow through me. I let out every emotion I felt for my brother come together in this picture.

As I set the black charcoal stick down when I finished my picture, the bell rang. Phinexa came to my side to help me clean up. She looked at the finished picture over my shoulder.

"Wow," she said in awe. "That's amazing!"

I looked at my picture. I had drawn ever contour and line perfectly and every spot of shading was to perfection. It was so well done, it looked _real_. "Thanks," I said quietly. I was really in a panic mode now.

We finished cleaning up and headed to our next class. We settled into our seats and began writing. There was no bell at the beginning or end of this class, so whenever someone started they sat in their seat and started writing.

About halfway through the exam, the office leader of the school knocked on the door. "Could Phinexa and Arriana come with me?" she asked pleasantly.

"They're in trouble," I heard a boy named Grath say.

_That bastard. I will kill him!_

I stood up and followed Phinexa out into the hall and to the office. When the woman sat down, so did Phinexa and I. She looked at us repeatedly for a while. It made me uncomfortable.

"Did Shale walk with you to school today?" she asked unexpectedly.

It took a while for me to answer. "Yes," I replied. _Of course he did. I remember this morning as clearly as the school bell rings._

"Did the gang come out this morning while you were walking to school?" the woman asked.

Phinexa nodded. I could see she was just as agitated as I was.

"Did your brother come into the school as soon as you got here?"

I stood up and slammed my hands on her desk. "Yes! Now why are you asking all these question?!" I yelled.

"Arriana," Phinexa said in a warning tone.

I sat back down. I was ready to hurt someone.

"I was asking questions because I was wondering why he hasn't been in any classes since his first one this morning. If he wishes to fail, he's doing a good job at it."

"What? He didn't go to these past two classes?" I asked in disbelief.

The woman nodded.

"How though? How could he be missing?" I asked. _How could my worst fear have come true?_

"If I knew that answer, I would tell you," the office leader said. She didn't at all seem concerned about my brother.

My mind went into a worse version of my normal panic mode. Shale was missing? It wasn't even possible. At least I didn't think it was. The rims of my eyes started to fill with tears.

Phinexa turned to me and held my shoulders with her hands. "Arriana, calm down," she said. "We'll find Shale. Just stay calm." I could tell that even she was worried.

I felt the small tears overflow and crawl down my cheeks. "Calm?! How can I stay calm?" I yelled. "My parents will kill me if I go home and Shale isn't with me. If I go home and my mother asks where Shale is, how will I tell her the truth? I can't lie Phinexa, you know that. I just can't lie to my parents, espacially my mom." I didn't care if we were still in the office. I wanted to cry. Sure I didn't pay much attention to my brother, but he was still my brother and I couldn't abandon him.

I saw the office leader turn to Phinexa. "I can postpone your exams until Shale is found," she offered.

Phinexa nodded. "Please." She looked to me and back to the woman behind the desk. "When are we able to look for Shale?"

She looked out to the sun that just shone above the treetops. "As soon as the lunch bell goes," she replied, dismissing us.

Phinexa led me out of the office and sat me down on a bench close to the main doors of the school. She kept telling me that everything would turn out all right, but her words did little to comfort me. The only thing that was on my mind leaving the school to go find Shale.

The bell rang a few really long moments later. I got up, wiped my eyes and ran out the door with Phinexa on my heels.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N- Okay, so this is the second chapter. I've been working hard at getting this done, you have no idea.

Pandakitty- You are so right with the characters, I can't believe you got them right! Anyway, I will try to make sure Shale stays out of trouble for a while for you.

Sonoci- Great to see that you like it so far. I really hope you keep reading. There's so much more to come, really! This is really the first book to a four-book set. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 2

"Shale! Shale! Where are you?" I yelled. Phinexa and I were in the middle of the forest by now. I had yelled for my brother so many times and now my voice was hoarse and my throat dry. "Oh where could he be?" I had already given up so mmuch hope on finding my brother that I thought it was useless to be out in the forest.

"Don't give up hope," Phinexa said, coming up to me. She had been in a different part of the forest for a while it surprised me when I heard her voice.

_A little late_, I thought with anger and frustration.

"We'll find your brother. Let's look in that thicket over there," Phinexa said as she quickly pointed to a thicket. She started walking towards it.

My mind went into alarm mode. "Wait!" I yelled, as if it was instinct that took over. "What if something comes out and eats us whole?" I was more concerned about encountering a falkral, or worse, finding my brother dead by the head of a fakral.

I saw a look of amusment spread across Phinexa's face. She almost smiled. "Oh quit worrying. We need to find Shale," Phinexa reminded me strictly.

_Great. More searching to do. I'll die before this ends._

I was still unsure of Phinexa's decision but I followed her into the thicket. When I entered through a set of bushes, I was able to sense all the life within that thicket. It seemed weird because I never could sense that before.

I looked around and saw wild roses and bluebells in a ring that was surrounded by a ring of tall pines. Many birds sang around us and a sweet smell hung in the air from the flowers.

We called out for Shale, although I knew that I couldn't be heard with my voice in its current state. Our calls went unanswered. My thoughts of Shale dead because of a falkral began to flood my mind. I couldn't think straight.

I sat down on a log in the thicket and put my elbows on my knees. I buried my face in my hands. I wasn't going to cry; I just couldn't help but worry.

"Don't worry yourself out," Phinexa said, sitting down beside me. "We'll find him. Don't worry."

I felt small tears begin to crawl down my cheeks. "Oh, what's the point? We'll never find Shale!" I sniffled. Sure, I wanted to find my brother, but I knew he could be anywhere in the vast forest. By now, looking for him seemed stupid and pointless.

Phinexa stood, her forehead creased in frustration. "Ok, let's continue to look anyway." She walked southeast out of the thicket. I followed her.

We walked for another half-hour. I was tired and worried for my brother. I found a mossy spot and sat down. "I need the break," I said, fighting tears again. I knew I took things to seriously when it came to my brother, but he was my only sibling. Not having him around didn't feel right to me.

Phinexa looked as if she was straining to hear something. "Hm, I thought I heard someone crying," she said.

"Which way?" I said urgently.

"I said I think, Arriana," Phinexa said.

"But Shale, it could be him!" I said, newfound hope blossoming in me.

"East of here," Phinexa said.

I didn't wait for her. I was already running by the time she said 'of here.' I listened as I ran and I heard the crying-like sound further in the woods. I followed it.

I ran and watched as the trees began to thin out. I was getting close to the mountains.

"Wait up!" Phinexa called behind me. I didn't bother waiting.

I drew closer and closer to the sound. I _knew_ it was my brother. It had to be. I could just sense it.

When the sound stopped, I flowed into a walk. I heard Phinexa behind me and she did the same action. We walked in silence for a while. I finally pushed aside a few branches and walked right into a clearing. I felt the moss under my sore feet. I felt a cool breeze moving through the trees and into the clearing. I heard birds chirping and I saw the grass sway as the breeze moved around in the open space.

I felt Phinexa nudge me. I looked before me, in the same direction her eyes were in. Sure enough, Shale was there. His back was to us. I took a step forward.

Shale turned. I gsaped. His eyes were not the soft golden topaz I was used to seeing. They were instead a cold blood red. I watched him closely. He turned and I heard a hiss. I jumped.

"Are you okay?" Phinexa asked me.

_Only I heard that?_ I thought.

Shale looked to us again. His eyes were back to normal. "Ar-Arriana?" he asked.

I took a step forward. "Are you okay?" I asked. I didn't want to hint that something wasn't right with my brother.

"I'm fine," he said.

"Were you crying?" I asked, my voice in a weird tone.

"No, it was a bird," he quickly said.

Phinexa walked and squated down by Shale. "What are you holding she asked.

"More like, why are you out here?" I asked.

"I heard a voice," Shale said in his child-like tone.

"A voice?" Phinexa asked.

He nodded. "I just heard a voice that was chanting something and I followed it when I went to take a walk around the school. I followed it to here. I saw this book and once I touched it, the voice stopped."

"A book?" I asked in desbelief. I sat down on the mossy and grassy ground. "Let me see."

Shale passed me the book. "I can't read it, so you might as well keep it."

We sat in a circle. I opened the book. It flipped to a page without me even touching it. That's when I heard a strange mystical voice. It pulsed in my ear although I couldn't hear the words. I scanned each page. The language was unfamiliar to me, but my subconcious mind told me that I knew it from somewhere.

I listened as the voice kept chanting. I couldn't help but keep reading. Somehow, I understood some of the words. Most were giberish, though I picked out some that talked of ancient times, wars, magic and an ancient creature that brought plague and death to everything he touched.

I looked to the pictures and borders. They were vibrant in colours and looked as though they were alive on the page. I thought that some of them would jump out and start dancing in the clearing they looked so real. I knew that only someone skillful could have written such a book. I flipped more pages until one word, written in plain ink, stood out. _Enchantress_.

I felt someone breathing down my neck. _It's your destiny, _someone said. _You are destined for power. _

I slammed the book shut. "For power?" I asked.

Shale and Phinexa looked to me. "Are you okay?" they asked in unison.

"Did you see that one word?" I asked.

"What word? I couldn't read any of it," Phinexa said.

"Neither could I," Shale said.

_Is it me, or was I the only one who saw that in the book and heard those words?_ I thought. I began to sweat. Something didn't feel right.

"So you just found it here?" Phinexa asked Shale.

"Yeah," he replied.

"It's amazing," she said, awe and shock in her voice.

"I can't have this," I said quickly.

Shale and Phinexa looked to me. "Why not?" Phinexa asked.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I replied. The voice and the word 'enchantress' freaked me out.

"Come on Arriana. It's just a book. We can take turns keeping it until we can decifer some of the writing," Phinexa replied.

"Please?" my brother begged.

_I know some of this though,_ I thought, _but I never even saw this form of writing before. Is it just a coincidence that I knew that one word and some others too? Or does it have to do with my family's past generations?_

"All right! I'll keep it for this week. Next week Phinexa's gets it. We'll spend time in the library after school looking up anything we can that has to do with form of writing and maybe we'll decfier something. Are we in accord?" I looked to my brother and best friend.

They nodded. "Then we better go," Phinexa said. "School must be out by now, plus, we don't want anyone worrying over us." She began to trek out of the clearing when she asked, "How are we going to find our way home exactly?"

I looked around and soon found what I was looking for. "There's a trail," I said, walking to the trail with the book cluthed in my arms.

Shale came up behind me. "It looks like it hasn't been used in a while. Are you sure we should take it?"

I nodded. "We may find other trails that will take us back home," I replied with confidence that I didn't have.

Phinexa jumped over a bush and began running down the trail. "Come on then!" she yelled.

I followed her, keeping the book close to my chest as I held it with one arm. Shale followed me.

We ran down the trail that turned and swerved through the forest. It seemed as though it would never end, but we continued running. I heard the pounding footsteps of our feet as we ran.

_Don't hide from the truth. You are what you are,_ the same voice said to me.

I looked behind and saw the sun. It was already beginning to set. _How could that much time have passed?_ I remembered my dazed state when I opened the book. _It was then! I must've stared at it for hours!_

"Phinexa! How long did we look at the book?" I yelled.

"At least an hour!" was that faint reply. "Log!"

Shale and I rounded a bend and thanks to Phinexa's warning, jumped over a fallen tree.

"Do you even know where we are?" Shale asked me.

I shook my head.

When Shale and I rounded the next bend, we nearly crashed into Phinexa. She was staring ahead. I followed her gaze. We were right by the eastern gate of Harping.

"How in the…" My voice trailed off.

Shale's jaw dropped. "Impossible," he murmured.

"Now I'm freaked," Phinexa said quietly.

I nodded.

You have power you never dreamed you would have. You…

"Shut up already!" I yelled.

The guards that were on watch jumped, as well as Phinexa and Shale.

"Who were you yelling at?" Phinexa asked, concerned.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "It's nothing. I thought I heard something, that's all."

"You sure?" she asked.

I nodded.

Shale walked a head of us and went through the gate. Phinexa and I followed. We lived on the East End of Harping, which was a good thing.

We caught up with Shale and walked to the hidden trail the three of us only knew about. The trail circled the entire east wall, and connected our houses. We walked silently on the trail until we came to Phinexa's house. "Tomorrow we begin the search," she confirmed.

I nodded.

She turned, checked to make sure no one was looking, ran through her yard and went inside through the back door. I waited until I heard the door close before walking the rest of the way to mine and Shale's house.

Shale followed quietly besied me. "What are you going to do? You didn't skip school to find me, did you?"

"All our exams that we missed are postponed. We'll have to write them tomorrow, most likely during lunch," I replied, "and maybe after school. Whoever gets done first begins researching."

Shale nodded. "At least you get an extra day of studying," he said.

I shook my head. "All my stuff is in my locker back at the school. The same goes for Phinexa, and you. We'll have to wait until tomorrow before we can get our things back."

"Oh." Shale didn't say anything after that.

I tucked the book under my other arm.

"Need me to carry that?" Shale asked.

I shook my head. "No, it's okay." I kept walking. "Why didn't you return to school?"

"I fell asleep," he replied sheepishly. "I didn't sleep well last night, so when I got to the clearing, I used the book as a pillow."

I only nodded. "You do realize that that is costing you for your level ranking in the school, right?"

Shale took in a quick breath. "You mean I might fail my level?" he asked.

"You might if you don't write your exams tomorrow," I cautioned.

We came to our yard. We checked to make sure no one was looking and then crawled out of the bushes and moved away from the trail. We scurried across the yard and into the house.

I closed the door and smelt smoke from the fireplace. I walked to the living room. On the branch-woven couch were my mother and father. They looked as though they had been in a fight.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

It brought them out of their daze.

My father left the room. I could tell by that action that he was mad.

"You're aunt and uncle came by," my mother said, her voice shaky.

My aunt and uncle liked to cause trouble in the family. It wasn't uncommon for us to get letters from other relatives out on the plains and arcoss the mountains concerning the wrath of our aunt and uncle.

"Oh. What was it about this time?" I asked.

"They never got to the point," my mother replied.

"A-hm!" Shale grunted. He was on the stairs.

I nodded. "We'll talk later," I said to my mom.

She nodded absently.

I went up the stairs and followed Shale until he turned and went into his room. I walked a little farther and shut the door to my room behind me. I let out a sigh. _There was a lot of tension in the living room. I hope they'll be okay_, I thought. I walked to my window. I stared at the forest for a while. It was so peaceful looking, unlike my home and life.

I knelt down and pushed on a hidden panel below the window frame. It slid to one side and opened to a hidden compartment. I put the thick book into the compartment and closed it. No one other than Shale and Phinexa knew about it.

I sighed again. _You are the one to save us all,_ the voice said again a few moments later.

I looked to the compartment. "This never happened until I opened that book," I said to myself. "Am I truly more than I think? Do I really have power?"

I leaned against the wall beside the window. I shook my head. "No, it can't be. There has never been an enchantress in the family since magic was banned, or at least, I don't think so. This is confusing."

I decided to go downstairs. I didn't want to be near the book at all. Everytime it moved when I was running in the forest behind Phinexa, it sent a shiver down my spine that didn't feel at all natural.

I went into the kitchen and began making supper. I figured it was just going to be Shale and I eating, so I made a salad and berry rolls. I made enough though so that entire family could eat.

I built up a fire and put on the silver rack over top. I grabbed each roll and set them down on the rack. I watched what I was doing, and gasped when I saw the flames move around my hand instead of trying to engulf it. I put the next roll on the rack and saw the same thing happen.

_What is wrong with me?!_ I thought. _It's as if I'm controlling a form of….. No! It can't be! A form of magic? Am I really doing that?_

I stopped focusing on the thoughts that buzzed in my head. I grabbed four plates and nicely carved forks. I put them on the table. "Shale!" I called. "Supper's ready!"

I heard someone walk in when I went to get the rolls of the fire. I looked over my shoulder and saw my mother sit down. She was still pale from the fight with my relatives, but I saw her grab a plate and fork.

I grabbed the nicely cooked rolls and put them on a tray, which I carried in one hand, the salad bowl with the salad in the other. I set the food on the table and sat down. I took very little compared to what I normally ate, but it didn't matter. I wasn't that hungry.

I watched my mother take some food and then go back to the living room. It was better for her. She wasn't ready to talk about anything yet, and I respected that.

I heard Shale come down and watched as he sat in his chair. He took two rolls and more then enough salad.

"Hungry?" I asked.

He nodded, his mouth full of food.

I picked away at the rest of the food on my plate. I didn't feel like eating at all, despite the fact that my stomach growled.

I took my plate and put it in the basin. "You're wahing the dishes right Shale?"

He nodded. "I'll do them once mom and dad finish eating."

"Alright," I said, going up the stairs. I went back into my room and pulled out the book. I opened it, and sure enough, I heard the same voice, only it was louder. I walked to my study desk and grabbed some writing fabric and my quill. I began to write down one sentence on the fabric. I made a second copy just in case I lost the first.

"What are you doing?" Shale asked standing in the doorway.

"I wanted to copy some of the writing as samples for tomorrow," I replied.

Shale nodded. "I see. You want me to help? I'm sure we could figure something out tonight if we try hard enough."

I shook my head. "No, that's alright." The voice that was around me was calling danger in my mind. "You should go to bed though."

"Okay," he said as he left my room and closed the door. "Good night." I heard his bedroom door close.

_That was a little too easy. Something isn't right about my brother_, I thought as I changed into my nightdress. I looked out my window and saw the darkness of the forest. Small lights flickered outside as the guards did their rounds around the city wall. I blew out my candles and went back to the window. I grabbed the book and put it back in its hiding place. I watched as the moon rose above the trees. "Something is going to change. I know it," I said. "I just hope it has nothing to do with me."

I crawled into my bed and closed my eyes. Sleep came quickly but I woke in the middle of the night because of a weird pulsing noise I heard. I looked to where I put the writing fabric with the copied words. I got out of bed and walked to my desk. As soon as I touched one of the sheets, the words burst into a vibrant glow. I looked to the writing and saw that I could read it. "Take me to a land where secrets are long forgotten," I read. "What does that mean?" Suddenly my room began to spin. The warmth left me and was replaced with a cold wind. The floor disappeared and was replaced with grass that brushed my feet.

I couldn't stop what was happening. I just looked to the words and saw them change color. I looked around me again and saw open hills with few trees on them begin to take shape. I began to freak.

"Where secrets are long forgotten, to a land you take me!" I yelled.

The spinning stopped and I was back in my room. I felt something burn my hand. I dropped the fabric and looked as a flower pattern began to take shape on my palm. Nothing else formed as I looked to my arms, hands, legs, torso and even feet. It was just the one mark on my hand.

It looked like there were vines swriling out from the flower, but nothing else. The mark glowed a soft topaz, the same color as my eyes.

"What is going on with me?" I asked myself.

I crawled back into bed and fell asleep once again, only to wake in the morning with a sheer pain that I never before felt in my life.


End file.
